We propose a UAB K12 program in Patient Centered Outcomes Research to support 4 PCOR Scholars. It will build on the successes and experience of our current Health Services/ Comparative Effectiveness Research Training Program and Minority Health and Disparities Research Training Program. Enhanced training of junior faculty in PCOR will be supported by our extensive research base in our primary emphasis area of healthcare disparities and secondary emphasis area of health system interventions. Training will be supported by further expertise in additional PCOR broad domains of: 1) Comparison of prevention, diagnosis and treatment options, 2) Communication and dissemination, and 3) Accelerating patient-centered and methodological research. Our research and training base is drawn from across 5 UAB Schools (Medicine, Public Health, Health Professions, Nursing, and Arts and Sciences) including 30 Primary PCOR Mentors and 20 Associate Mentors. We have identified 17 prospective PCOR Scholar (5 minority) candidates. Training capacity is supported by our recently re-funded AHRQ Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) and unique University-wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers Program, including the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education and the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center. Our overall goal for this 2- year career development program is to expand the training capacity we currently have built at UAB. A PCOR K12 will allow us to combine our strength in outcomes and disparities research into an innovative PCOR career development program with a health disparities focus. Our specific aims are to: 1) Identify and recruit the most promising and diverse junior investigators for training in PCOR 2) Provide career development support through individual and team mentoring, grant-development and grant submission support. 3) Provide intensive on-site and off-site didactic curriculum and multi-disciplinary training focused on PCOR with emphasis on health disparities and health systems 4) Foster a team-science approach and expand PCOR experience for training Scholars and other junior faculty with interest in PCOR by strengthening interdisciplinary collaborations 5) Expand our highly successful mentor training and mentorship review programs, concepts pioneered by our Health Services, CER, and Health Disparities training programs. 6) Develop a panel of patient advocates and representatives of patient organizations, healthcare payers, and academic experts to advise our program on the training experience and assist with dissemination. A UAB K12 will allow us to build new and expand existing innovative and sustainable infrastructure for career development, to recruit and train individuals with significan potential to be highly successful PCOR researchers, and to mentor them toward becoming academic leaders at UAB and nationally. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Creating the next generation of well-trained patient centered outcomes researchers is of critical national importance as we seek to improve patient centered health care delivery and reduce health care disparities. The UAB PCOR K12 career development program with a focus on disparities and health system interventions will be used to train and mentor the next generation of PCOR researchers.